Sub-dividing secondary support grid for a ceiling fixture

ABSTRACT

A sub-dividing secondary support grid for ceiling fixtures such as a lighting fixture or the like wherein a plurality of substantially identical parts are interlocked and rotated as a unit into position in an opening in a primary ceiling grid structure for providing a smaller opening in which the ceiling fixture is supported.

United States Patent 1 Stephenson [4 1 June 5, 1973 54] SUB-DIVIDINGSECONDARY SUPPORT 2,710,679 6/1955 Bibb et al. ..52/484 x 2,830,3304/1958 Heath ..52/28 GRID FOR A CEILING FIXTURE 3,312,024 4/1967Paschmann.... 52/637 X [75] Inventor: Fred J. Stephenson, Lawrence,3,668,826 6/1972 White ..52/28 Kans.

[73] Assignee: Butler Manufacturing Company, Primary ExaminerPrice C.Faw, Jr.

Kansas City, Mo. AtlorneyShoemaker & Mattare [22] Filed: Oct. 26, 1971[2]] Appl. No.: 192,213 ABSTRACT A sub-dividing secondary support gridfor ceiling fix 521 US. Cl. ..52/28, 52/39, 52/484, as a lightingfixture or the like wherein 8 52/664 plurality of substantiallyidentical parts are interlocked [51] Int Cl E04, 5/62 and rotated as aunit into position in an opening in a Fie'ld 173 663 primary ceilinggrid structure for providing a smaller 474 opening in which the ceilingfixture is supported.

[56] References Cited 6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS3,292,332 12/1966 Jahn ..52/484 PAIENTEUJUH 5197a 3,736,706

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ATTORNEYS SUB-DIVIDING SECONDARY SUPPORT GRID FOR A CEILING FIXTUREBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a secondarysupport grid for ceiling fixtures such as lights and the like wherein asupporting grid or frame is positioned in and said supported in a largerframed opening in a ceiling, said supporting grid defining a smalleropening therein in which the light or the like is positioned andsupported.

Various devices are known in the prior art for supporting ceilingfixtures such as lights and the like from primary grid structures in theceiling. One typical device used in the prior art is an exposed, simplespan regular ceiling T-support wherein the supports span the entireopening in a primary ceiling grid structure with a secondary T-supportspanning the opening between the first mentioned T-support to form aframed opening in the center of a larger opening. Such supports presenta cluttered appearance, however, and are undesirable from an estheticpoint of view. Another typical ceiling fixture support comprises aconcealed device which supports nine separate ceiling boards. Theconcealed supports require complicated parts and connections and skilledlabor is required in order to achieve a desired appearance with theconcealed supports.

The present invention is much simpler than all prior art devices andprovides a pleasing appearance when in use. According to the presentinvention, a plurality of identical elongate parts or structural membersare interlocked with one another to form a pinwheel design with anopening defined in the center of the plurality of interlocked parts. Theassembly is lifted into a larger framed opening in a primary ceilinggrid structure and rotated into place with a portion of each of thesubstantially identical parts resting on the primary ceiling gridstructure. The opening defined by the substantially identical parts isthen used to position and support a ceiling fixture such as a light orthe like within the larger primary framed opening. The construction ofthe supports according to the present invention is simple andeconomical; and because of the rhythmical repeat of lines when installedin a complete ceiling, the support is esthetically attractive. Further,due to the exceptional simplicity of construction of the secondarysupport grid of the present invention, wherein a minimum number of partsare required, the support grid of the present invention is economical tomanufacture and simple to install.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide aneconomical and simple secondary support grid for ceiling fixtures,wherein a plurality of substantially identical parts are interlockedwith one another and then lifted into position in a larger opening in aprimary ceiling grid structure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a subdividing secondarysupport grid for ceiling fixtures such as lights and the like whereinfour substantially identical parts are interlocked with one another insubstantially a pinwheel pattern with the four parts defining an openingtherebetween and with one end of each of the parts extending beyond anedge of the opening so that when the assembly is positioned in a largeropening in a primary ceiling grid structure, the projecting ends rest onthe edges of the opening to support the opening in the secondary supportgrid substantially centered with respect to the larger opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of aportion of a primary ceiling grid structure with a sub-dividingsecondary support grid for a ceiling fixture positioned therewithin.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a subdividing secondary support gridfor a ceiling fixture showing the manner of assembly thereof.

FIG. 3 is a view in elevation of one of the members of the assembly inFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional end view of one of the members of FIG. 2interlocked with another member and with a pair of ceiling panels inplace.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a sub-dividing secondary support grid shown inposition in a larger framed opening in full lines and in position to belifted through the opening in phantom lines.

FIG. 6 is an end sectional view of one of the longitudinally extendingtruss members in the primary grid ceiling structure of FIG. 1 with apair of secondary support grids and ceiling panels resting on oppositesides thereof.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but is taken in end section on one ofthe transverse truss members of the primary ceiling grid structure ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 of a conventional end connection ofthe secondary support grid with a primary support grid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now the the drawings,wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout theseveral views, a portion of a building structure is indicated generallyat l in FIG. 1 and comprises a primary ceiling grid structure 2 of thespace grid type wherein a plurality of longitudinally extending trussmembers 3 are interconnected with and intersected by a plurality oftransversely extending truss members 4 to define a plurality of squareopenings 5 in the primary ceiling grid structure 2. A pair ofsubdividing secondary support grids 6 are shown supported within a pairof spaced openings 5 in the primary ceiling grid structure. Suitableceiling fixtures such as lights L or the like are supported by thesecondary support grid structures 6.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the secondary support grid structure6 comprises four substantially identical elongate inverted T-sectionstructural members 7, 8, 9 and 10. Each of the members 7, 8, 9 and 10resembles an inverted T in cross section and includes a vertical web 11having a tubular head or reinforcement 12 along the upper edge thereofand a pair of oppositely directed laterally extending flanges 13 and 14on the bottom or lower edge thereof, said tubular bead and flanges beingcommensurate in length with said web. Each member also has alongitudinally extending flange or tab 15 projecting outwardly beyondone end thereof and a vertically extending slot 16 in the web 1 1intermediate the ends thereof and spaced closer to the end of saidmember remote from said longitudi nally projecting tab 15.

In use, the flange or tab 15 on the end of one structural member 7 isinserted through the slot 16 in the web 11 of another structural member10 and bent or folded over to interlock the two structural members 7 and10. A similar procedure is followed with the other two structuralmembers 8 and 9 which are interlocked together and interlocked with thestructural members 7 and W by extending the tabs or flanges 15 on theends of the structural members 8 and 10 through the respective slots 16in the webs ll of the structural members 7 and 9. The four structuralmembers 7, 8, 9 and R are accordingly interlocked with one another in apinwheel design and define an opening 17 in the center thereof. The freeends of the structural members extend outwardly in mutuallyprependicular relationship to one another to define supports forengaging the edges of a larger opening to support the secondary supportgrid 6 in the larger opening 5. A suitable ceiling fixture such as alight L or the like is then supported in the opening 17 substantially inthe center of the larger opening 5. A plurality of ceiling panels 18 maythen be supported on the flanges 13 and M of each structural member 7,8, 9 and and on the flanges of the longitudinal and transverse trussmembers 3 and 4 in the primary ceiling grid structure 2.

The method of positioning the secondary support grid within an opening 5in the primary ceiling grid structure is depicted in FIG. 5 wherein theposition of the secondary support grid 6 while it is being liftedthrough the opening 5 is shown in phantom lines and the final positionof the secondary support grid in supported relation within the opening 5is indicated in full lines.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, the manner in which the edges of theceiling panels 18 and the ends of the structural members 7, 8, 9 and 10rest on and are supported by the longitudinal truss members 3 andtransverse members 4, respectively, can be seen.

In FIG. 8, a conventional end connection of the secondary support gridmembers and roof panels 18 is shown. In this form of the invention, thefree ends of the structural members 7, a, 9 and 110 are provided with atab which is inserted through a slot in the vertically extending flangeof a primary grid structure 19 having a generally H-shaped crosssectional configuration.

As can best be seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, the slot 116 in each of thestructural members is positioned closer to one end of the structuralmember than to the other end and accordingly when the structural membersare assembled together as in FIG. the point of interconnection orinterlocking engagement between each pair of structural members isspaced close to the edge of the opening 5 and, therefore, less bendingmoment is exerted on the secondary support grid from the weight of theceiling fixture supported therein than if the point of interconnectionor interlocking engagement between the pairs of structural members wasspaced further from the edge of the opening 5. However, the position ofthe slots 16 and accordingly the relative positions of the structuralmembers 7, 8, 9 and 10 with respect to one another could be varied todefine different size and shaped openings 117 than that specificallyshown and described herein.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the presentembodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since thescope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than bythe description preceding them, and all changes that fall within themetes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as well asconjointly cooperative equivalents, are therefore intended to beembraced by those claims.

What is claimed is:

ll. A sub-dividing secondary support grid support a ceiling fixture suchas a light or the like in a larger opening defined by a plurality ofprimary ceiling grid structural members, comprising four substantiallyidentical, elongate, secondary structural members interlocked with oneanother in angular relationship substantially in the shape of a pinwheelwith one end of each of the elongate secondary structural membersprojecting laterally beyond another elongate secondary structural memberwith which it in interlocked, said interlocked secondary structuralmembers defining a rectangular secondary opening therebetween, eachelongate member having an opening therethrough adjacent said one endthereof and an axially projecting tab on the other end thereof, the tabon each secondary structural member received through the opening in anadjacent secondary structural member and bent over to secure all of thesecondary structural members together in said pinwheel shape, the saidone ends of the' secondary structural members supported on said primarygrid structural members to space said secondary opening substantiallycentered in said larger opening, and a ceiling fixture supported on saidsecondary support grid in said secondary opening, the connection of saidother end of each secondary structural member with an adjacent secondarystructural member near said one end thereof resulting in the loadcarried by the secondary structural members being concentrated near theconnection thereof with the primary structural members and thus reducingthe bending moment on the secondary support grid.

2. A sub-dividing secondary support grid as in claim ll, wherein thecross sectional shape of each elongate structural member substantiallyresembles an inverted T.

3. A sub-dividing secondary support grid as in claim 2, wherein eachelongate structural member comprises a vertically disposed web with atubular reinforcing rib along the upper edge thereof and a pair ofopposite laterally extending flanges along the lower edge thereof.

4. A sub-dividing secondary support grid as in claim 3, wherein aplurality of elongate ceiling panels are supported along one edge on aflange of each of said elongate structural members and ona flange of anadjacent I primary ceiling grid structure.

5. A sub-dividing secondary support, grid as in claim 4, wherein saidmeans on said elongate members for supporting a ceiling fixturecomprises one of said flanges on the lower edge of each said member.

6. A sub-dividing secondary support grid as in claim 1, wherein alongitudinally projecting tab is on each end of each structural member.

t i t i =3

1. A sub-dividing secondary support grid support a ceiling fixture suchas a light or the like in a larger opening defined by a plurality ofprimary ceiling grid structural members, comprising four substantiallyidentical, elongate, secondary structural members interlocked with oneanother in angular relationship substantially in the shape of a pinwheelwith one end of each of the elongate secondary structural membersprojecting laterally beyond another elongate secondary structural memberwith which it in interlocked, said interlocked secondary structuralmembers defining a rectangular secondary opening therebetween, eachelongate member having an opening therethrough adjacent said one endthereof and an axially projecting tab on the other end thereof, the tabon each secondary structural member received through the opening in anadjacent secondary structural member and bent over tO secure all of thesecondary structural members together in said pinwheel shape, the saidone ends of the secondary structural members supported on said primarygrid structural members to space said secondary opening substantiallycentered in said larger opening, and a ceiling fixture supported on saidsecondary support grid in said secondary opening, the connection of saidother end of each secondary structural member with an adjacent secondarystructural member near said one end thereof resulting in the loadcarried by the secondary structural members being concentrated near theconnection thereof with the primary structural members and thus reducingthe bending moment on the secondary support grid.
 2. A sub-dividingsecondary support grid as in claim 1, wherein the cross sectional shapeof each elongate structural member substantially resembles an invertedT.
 3. A sub-dividing secondary support grid as in claim 2, wherein eachelongate structural member comprises a vertically disposed web with atubular reinforcing rib along the upper edge thereof and a pair ofopposite laterally extending flanges along the lower edge thereof.
 4. Asub-dividing secondary support grid as in claim 3, wherein a pluralityof elongate ceiling panels are supported along one edge on a flange ofeach of said elongate structural members and on a flange of an adjacentprimary ceiling grid structure.
 5. A sub-dividing secondary support gridas in claim 4, wherein said means on said elongate members forsupporting a ceiling fixture comprises one of said flanges on the loweredge of each said member.
 6. A sub-dividing secondary support grid as inclaim 1, wherein a longitudinally projecting tab is on each end of eachstructural member.